If I eat fat, I will get fat. This has been the mindset of many people over the years. Where does this thinking stem from? Back in the 90's we were made to believe this through clever marketing ploys and many companies then drained the fat out of their products. However, to keep the flavour they simply replaced fat with higher sugar content. As we now know, excess sugar in our body will convert into fat anyway. So this is not the answer.
Then why do we need to consume more fat? Healthy fats have many benefits with one of the biggest being that it balances out our blood sugar levels. Fat has a very slow absorption rate into the body, around 5-8 hours. So when we combine fat with foods containing carbohydrates, the fat will help slow down the absorption of those carbohydrates (sugars) and prevent a rapid spike in blood sugar levels. This is key for weight loss as high blood sugar levels promote insulin to be secreted leading to potential fat creation/gain.
Another benefit of having balanced blood sugar levels is longer sustained energy throughout your day. Minimising blood sugar spikes will also help eliminate blood sugar crashes - headaches, feeling tired, moody, craving more sugar. A fantastic health benefit is that you will dramatically reduce the chance of developing type 2 diabetes with nicely balanced blood sugar levels.
Some other great benefits of consuming healthy fats regularly are that they help produce sex & adrenal hormones, regulate body temperature, improve circulation and heart efficiency, leading to less chance of heart disease, lower blood pressure and cholesterol.
Healthy fats also transport essential vitamins around our body and promote healthy skin, hair, nails and teeth. So before we reach for the Aloe Vera and best Shampoo's we should simply be increasing our good fat intake to do this naturally.
Great options of healthy fats we can include in our daily meals include:
- Salmon (and other cold water fish)
- Almonds (and other raw, unsalted nuts and nut mixes such as LSA and almond meal)
- Olive oil (and other natural oils such as safflower, sunflower, flaxseed and coconut oil)
- Avocado
For more information on healthy fats and other nutritional aspects please contact the team at Vision Personal Training Rose Bay on 9371 7659.
*Disclaimer: Individual results vary based on agreed goals. Click here for details.
